On Friday, Madonna was honored as Woman of the Year at Billboard's Women In Music Awards, but the speech the pop icon gave eschewed the usual award show thankfulness for sober and wryly funny remarks on sexism in the entertainment industry. Madonna's Billboard speech addressed aging, abuse, rape, double standards, feminism, and more, and her tone made it clear that she meant business.

“I stand before you as a doormat,” she said. “Oh, I mean, as a female entertainer. "Thank you for acknowledging my ability to continue my career for 34 years in the face of blatant sexism and misogyny and constant bullying and relentless abuse.” She acknowledged harrowing instances from her past, from the loss of many of her close friends to AIDS to being raped at knifepoint. She also spoke of the toll of sexist double standards regarding sexuality — "You are allowed to be objectified by men and dress like a slut, but don’t own your sluttiness" — and the fact that aging is implausibly considered taboo for entertainers, especially female entertainers. "I think the most controversial thing I have done is to stick around," she said, resulting in applause from the previously stoic crowd.

So next time you make fun of or dismiss a female celebrity for daring to age, Madonna seems to be warning her audience, remember the real women who have endured, and prospered, in the face of sexism and criticism.